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ISSN 2083-6473
ISSN 2083-6481 (electronic version)
 

 

 

Editor-in-Chief

Associate Editor
Prof. Tomasz Neumann
 

Published by
TransNav, Faculty of Navigation
Gdynia Maritime University
3, John Paul II Avenue
81-345 Gdynia, POLAND
www http://www.transnav.eu
e-mail transnav@umg.edu.pl
Developing Professional Linguistic Competence in Multilingual Ship Crews: A Psycholinguistic Approach
1 Danube Institute National University “Odesa Maritime Academy”, Izmail, Ukraine
ABSTRACT: In multilingual crews of seagoing vessels, English functions as a lingua franca, and the security of communication depends to a large extent on the use of standardized IMO SMCPs. However, communicative failures occur not only due to insufficient language competence but also due to psycholinguistic limitations of speech processing under conditions of navigational load, attention switching, and stress. The purpose of the study is to identify psycholinguistic mechanisms that increase the risk of professional communication disorders on the bridge. The study has an integrated analytical design and is based on a secondary analysis of empirical data: the results of surveys of seafarers on the use of SMCPs and on hull-based studies of ship-based radio communications. To interpret the discrepancies between the normative model of communication and actual practice, a psycholinguistic model is applied, considering three key factors: processing load, attention switching between communication channels, and stress-induced interference. The analysis showed that the regulatory status of SMCPs is perceived differently by seafarers depending on the communicative context: they are more often considered mandatory in external communication, while they are seen as recommended in internal one. Corpus data show uneven use of protocol elements: the phonetic alphabet is almost always used, while message and exchange termination structural markers are much less used. This indicates the degradation of metacommunicative elements under the influence of operational load. The study confirms that communicative failures in mixed crews are due not only to language competence but also to psycholinguistic limitations of speech activity. A model of professional language competence of seafarers is proposed, combining language repertoire, protocol-procedural competence, and cognitive control.
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Citation note:
Zheliaskov V., Soroka O., Kolmykova O., Demchenko O., Turlak L.: Developing Professional Linguistic Competence in Multilingual Ship Crews: A Psycholinguistic Approach. TransNav, the International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation, Vol. 20, No. 2, doi:10.12716/1001.20.02.24, pp. 507-515, 2026
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